


When Love Arrives

by homesickness



Series: Tumblr prompts [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, It's just fluffy and short ok?, M/M, Strangers to Lovers, Tumblr Prompt, happy birthday Nina!! xx, i guess?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2015-12-02
Packaged: 2018-05-04 15:21:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5338967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/homesickness/pseuds/homesickness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a mistake at the movies and Louis and Harry get the same ticket. Turns out sitting in a stranger's lap for an hour and a half might not be the worst thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When Love Arrives

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nina the birthdaygirl xx](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Nina+the+birthdaygirl+xx).



> Happy birthday Nina! I hope you've had an absolutely amazing birthday. I'm not used to writing short drabbles and I've only read through it myself so there might be some errors, but I hope you like it anyway. x

Louis can admit that it's not his proudest moment and he prays to god that none of his friends decided to all the sudden become romantic and have a spontaneous date at the opposite side of the city. He's deliberately chosen this theatre because he doesn't know anyone in the area and if he actually runs into someone here then the devil himself must be out to get him. This fact, however, does not eliminate the rush of anxiety that comes unexpectedly when he enters the building.

It's a romantic comedy is the thing; a really sappy Christmas movie that's against everything he stands for. But. This movie has that really pretty guy from that show he sometimes watches when there's nothing else on TV and it's totally worth sneaking around a bit if it means he can watch him woo some other pretty guy that he _didn't_ recognize but probably should.

It's supposed to be cute, sue him.

So he buys his ticket. _One, please_ , cue pity. And he probably looks rather shady to everyone around him. He’s looking around the room, hoodie on and a generally suspicious demeanour, and he can feel the surrounding looks aimed at him.

“Next,” the girl behind the counter says and Louis steps forward with his fingers clenched around the money in his left hand and a strained smile playing on his face.

“Some sweet popcorn, please. Small,” he says. “And a bottle of water.”

He hands her the money without bothering to hear the total. He’s more concerned about whether or not he can actually get away with this. It’s been planned for a while, yes, but he hasn’t thought of a proper plan for if he actually does get caught, especially by Niall or _oh god no_ Nick. He’d die on the spot, surely. He’s also known as a shit liar, so there’s no backup plan at this point except moving away and changing his name to avoid years of teasing turning into an inside joke.

Walking away from the register he stuffs the bottom of the water bottle down in the pocket of his hoodie and gets ready to show his ticket. The man rips off the edge and reminds him which screen to go to and is overall quite bitter about it. It’s a cold exchange of words to say the least and Louis is happy to walk away from it towards screen 5.

The commercials are nearing an end when he enters and the room is absolutely packed. It’s not the premier so he didn’t expect so many people, but he thanks god that the room is already quite dark so it wouldn’t be easy to make out proper details on his face that could give him away. Instead of standing around in the aisle though he walks the few steps down to his assigned row and then without looking up he checks the seat number once more. _80_.

Well. That’s got to be wrong for sure. In the seat by the aisle, _his seat_ , is a guy his own age, chatting with two mates who’re sitting next to him. Louis double checks again, most likely looking like an idiot just standing there, but that’s still very much his seat.

“Excuse me,” Louis interrupts their conversation. Three pairs of eyes turn to him, none of which he recognizes. “You’re in my seat, I think.” He’s now looking at the one at the very end of the row who reacts with a slight frown, though still smiling slightly.

“You sure? ‘Cause I’m positive I’m not,” the boy says, deep and with a surprising drawl. He looks to his mates once, giving them a _what’s he on about_ look before turning back to Louis.

“I’m pretty sure, mate. Seat 80, yeah?” Louis’s getting annoyed. He didn’t risk a lifetime of embarrassment just to have his seat taken by a slow-talking, curly haired douche who _fuck him_ can take his friends with him to see the movie.

“Yeah, that’s my seat,” he laughs and sits a little straighter.

“No, that’s _my_ seat,” Louis replies and pretty much shoves the ticket in his face. The guy takes it from him, still with a confident smirk, and scans the assigned placement. It takes a moment or two but soon his face falls and he immediately goes to pull out his own ticket, comparing them.

After he’s looked between them a few times he gives the ticket back to Louis and looks apologetic.

“They must’ve made a mistake, mate. Sorry, these are identical.” He does look sorry, Louis can admit that, but he’s still not moving.

“Listen,” Louis says, leaning closer to them and trying to look as intimidating as possible. “I didn’t lie to my flatmate, pay for a fucking cab over here and risk becoming the inside joke at work to not see this movie. So if you would kindly move that would be appreciated.” He’s almost whispering at this point but that doesn’t change the frustration in his tone.

“Look, mate, just go talk to the staff about it, you’ll probably get another seat-”

“Does it look like there are any seats available?”

The guy looks around, noticing no empty seats, and the movie is about to start any minute now so there aren’t a lot of options here. Louis absolutely refuses to just sit in the aisle for an hour and a half when this guy paid just as much and gets to sit in a comfortable chair. That’s not fair.

“What do you want me to tell you?” he asks Louis. “I paid for this seat.”

“So did I!” Louis hissed, and steps closer. The bloke doesn’t seem bothered by Louis invading his space. He looks rather amused, actually. Louis decides that he hates him.

“Then sit down, mate,” he says and leans back in his seat. It sounds like a joke or possibly a challenge and his mates snicker to themselves while watching the scene unfold. What they’re probably not expecting is Louis’ lack of decency though.

And Louis doesn’t know why, maybe because his pride is already thrown out the window, but he mumbles an _alright_ and steps in front of the guy, bum turned to the stranger’s face, and sits himself right now in his lap. Louis’ knees bump into the armrest and his left shoulder blade rests against the guy’s shoulder, all of it quite uncomfortably, but he’s very satisfied with his decision. He’ll without a doubt come to regret it of course because this is not normal behaviour but he’s got nothing to lose at this point.

“What are you doing?” the guy snaps quietly close to his ear.

“I’m sitting down, like you told me to. Now shush, the movie is starting and I’d like to enjoy it, thank you.”

This is not how he imagined his night, clearly. He’s curled up in a stranger’s lap with sweet popcorn and a romantic movie on the big screen and he can honestly say that he’s not even sorry. The three guys, and probably some people who observed the argument, are just staring at him while their jaws hit the floor and as mentioned it’s definitely not his proudest moment, but it is what it is.

“Love, as lovely as cuddling is, I don’t know you,” the guy whispers, softly this time. If Louis hadn’t experienced the arrogance a few moments ago he probably would’ve thought it was sweet. Now it’s more sarcastic than anything, dripping with the remains of their argument.

“I’m Louis, twenty-five years old and I hate romantic movies,” he mumbles back, snuggling closer to the strange chest that feels more like comfort than anything else.

It takes the guy a few moments, long enough to introduce the main character actually, before he answers him.

“Harry, twenty-three, and I love them.” It comes with a tone Louis doesn’t recognize. Anyone else in the room might’ve shoved him off by now, calling the security guard to escort him off the property or whatever, but this _Harry_ only relaxed to the feeling of company and accepted the solution to their feud. “This is strange.”

“Just watch the movie, Harry.”

 

Eventually, about thirty minutes into cuddling and main characters and shared snacks, Harry’s arms sneak around Louis’ waist like a subtle wind that sweeps him off his feet. It’s more comfortable this way, Louis tells himself. This stranger, _Harry_ , is only seeking ultimate comfort in your body closer to his. The contact of a stranger must be nothing but a PG version of a one night stand to him and Louis will be left afterwards missing something he didn’t quite deserve in the first place. So he enjoys it while he can. He whispers comments into Harry’s ear and watches his laughter and to Louis the quiet sound of it is nicer than the soundtrack for the movie.

Harry’s mates are still looking unsure, as if Louis’ intentions aren’t pure, and he wants to assure them that he’s not one to sit in strangers’ laps without having wooed them first, or being wooed. He’s not one to grant permission to his waist without judging someone’s character but the look on Harry’s face when he leans up to whisper _that’s what she said_ is enough to make him trust for tonight.

And the movie ends too sudden, out of nowhere comes the final kiss and the girls look jealous while the boys look bored, but Harry just looks at Louis. In return Louis looks back and smiles, not knowing what else he can offer without seeming too forward. Is it appropriate to sit here all night while the janitor closes down and leaves them to continue doing nothing at all? No, it’s not, would be the obvious answer but nothing is obvious with Louis tonight.

“Do you still hate romantic movies?” Harry asks him and lets his arms unwrap themselves from around Louis’ middle. Louis nods and it’s not particularly a lie because he prefers movies without a beginning a middle and an end in that particular order, but he did enjoy this one.

“I just wanted to see Bradley without a shirt,” he admits, standing up. The bag of popcorn is somewhere on the ground where it has been since Harry had attempted to pop them into his mouth by throwing them up in the air and Louis got mad at him for the distraction. All there’s left are some twizzlers that Harry bought and the half-empty water bottle still stuck like glue to Louis’ pocket.

“If you say so,” Harry chuckles and becomes the next to stand up, brushing off some popcorn remains from his black jeans. And, wow, he’s tall when he wears boots and Louis feels smaller, neater, standing next to him in the middle of the aisle as they wait for his friends. “Let’s head out, they’ll catch up.”

He grabs Louis’ hand, holding it firmly like he’s afraid that if he lets go the crowd will take him away from fate. You see, Louis believes in fate. He believes that coincidences shouldn’t be assigned to moments that change your life, because it minimizes them to the point where it’s just another part of you that isn’t supposed to be there.  

So they walk out of there, cherishing whatever they have left of fate for tonight, and doesn’t let their own words take that away from them until it’s absolutely necessary that they part ways. Louis doesn’t know when that is, but he figures that the December cold hitting him in the face is a sign that it’s his time to head home. One can only handle so much fate in one night, after all.

“I had fun tonight,” Harry says. They’re on the sidewalk, facing each other and indirectly screaming that they need to head in opposite directions now.

“Me too,” Louis replies, letting go of Harry’s hand. “Hold on.” He dives in for the phone in his pocket and fumbles with the password, hands shaking from both below zero and Harry. He hands it over, urging Harry to type his number in, and watches as Harry’s hands shake all the same.

“We’ll do this again, yeah?” Harry suggests when handing it back. “Maybe my place next time so we don’t bother anyone?”

“I’d love that.”

Louis then kisses his cheek because he’s not sure if he’s ready for Harry’s lips quite yet and as they walk away from each other, after promises of _I’ll call you_ and _dinner at my place next week_ , Louis decides that romantic movies might be the best thing that ever happened to him.

 


End file.
